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Ceramic composites give super-alloys strong competition

Ceramics are lightweight, strong, and can take serious heat. But they have a reputation of being brittle materials that shatter on impact, making them a less than likely choice for engine design. This could change as scientists at GE Global Research try to toughen the material while keeping its other properties intact.

The researchers have come up with a material called ceramic matrix composites (CMCs). CMCs are made from a silicon carbide matrix toughened with a proprietary coating of silicon carbide fibers. The durable new material withstands temperatures as high as 2,400°F and weighs one-third of nickel super-alloys. The fibers are said to be less than one-sixth the diameter of a human hair.

You can see in this video that CMCs act like metal when a bullet is shot at it. The bullet actually bounces back with impact testing at around 150 mph.

CMC is strong, tough and can be mass produced. When airlines substitute CMC parts in the gas turbines, their engines will become 15% more efficient due to their reduced weight.